Reading the Tea Leaves

As 2011 draws to a close, we see the last of some teas as well.  Inquiring about Gunpowder Green teas, for example, I learned this week that prices are “going crazy,” at least for the better quality, tightly rolled grades.  This particular tea is finished each July, meaning that stocks are dwindling and prices unstable.  As I have mentioned elsewhere, jasmine scenting was finished in September.  As shipments are drawn from teas produced in summer, there will be no new processing of jasmine teas until the following June.

The sources for some fine quality, limited production Green teas were depleted months ago. For other varieties for which orders were placed in spring and held for shipments through the year, the last of these lots are arriving.

These photos do not do the teas justice; the leaves are greener than what my camera captured, and that is due to my lack of expertise in lighting.  Nonetheless, I think the point is made.  With proper storage, i.e., refrigeration in sealed bags or containers, Green teas can be enjoyed year-round.

Golden Bamboo Hairpoint

This Golden Bamboo Green is one of those that is a delight to behold when opening a carton filled with these budsets.  Like the Huang Mtn. Maofeng, these leaves illustrate the what-and-how of Green teas very nicely.  The tea derives its name from the hint of gold in its leaves and the elongated shape recalls bamboo leaves.

Golden Bamboo Green

At this quality level, a bud and two leaves are readily apparent.  The leaves look quite intact, as you would expect from a minimalist processing that basically dries the leaves and stabilizes them.

Golden Bamboo: this picture sums it up: precise plucking followed by minimal processing.

The next tea is quite the opposite, with each budset individually hand-pressed, a very labor intensive processing method.  Tai Ping Hou Kui is probably a favorite because of its dramatic appearance, as flamboyant as any tea can hope to attain.

Tai Ping Hou Kui

A costlier grade (at double the price) in spring was greener, in a crisper, brighter hue, but this is still a good example of this tea that is slowing gaining a wider audience.

Lu’An Melon Seed Green is also markedly different from the simple, pure form of the Golden Bamboo.  The rolling here is evident.

Lu'An Melon Seed Green

The tea shown immediately above is half the price of a top grade that sold out early this past spring, but the deep green cast is the same.  The top priced tea tasted fuller and brighter, but like the two Greens described earlier, these are all fairly restrained cups.

A premium Lu'An Melon Seed Green

One chooses such a tea for its specific varietal, the region, and some finesse rather than a bold taste.

The next tea is not very green in dry form, to be sure, but Rainflower Needles brews a great tasty cup, and the quality has been maintained, and this is a nice reminder about the many leaf shapes that Green teas yield.

Rainflower Needles Green

Dragonwell Greens are in good supply, no doubt because this is probably the best known Green.

A 2nd grade Dragonwell (~ not a 2nd rate tea)

The leaves  bear a distinctive yellow hue, so this shade is not due to months of languishing in a warehouse.  Kept in cool storage, the taste is immediate and unmistakably that of a proper Lungching: sweet, slightly nutty, without any “green” bite.

Some worthy teas do not possess the allure of unusual or prettily formed leaves, but they are deeply satisfying, imparting a sweet green aroma and taste, as in the case of this modest looking organic Green Maofeng:

A simple Green Maofeng; uneven leaves but good flavor.

Depending on which part of the country you happen to reside, if you are yearning for spring, a mug of fine China Green may provide the brief illusory escape you crave.

A cup of Tai Ping Hou Kui (in December)